Expectorants are:
- Iodides.
- Chlorides.
- Bicarbonates.
- Acetates.
- Squil.
- Guaiphenesin.
- Ipecauanha.
- Creostesl
- Volatile oils.
------------------------
Essential essences or oils are a complex mixture of aromatic substances responsible for the fragrances of flowers. They have numerous pharmacological actions, so they constitute the basis of aromatherapy, but they are also widely used in perfumery and cosmetics, in the pharmaceutical industry and in the food, liquor and confectionery industry.
Volatile oils, essential oils or simply essences, are the natural aromatic substances responsible for the fragrances of flowers and other plant organs. Currently, this definition is only used if they are obtained by running in a steam stream or by expressing pericarp in the case of citrus fruits.
With the exception of some, such as bitter almonds, which are produced by hydrolysis of heterosides, these essences are found as such in the plant. They are synthesized and segregated by certain specialized histological structures, frequently located on or in the vicinity of the plant surface: oil cells, secretory ducts or cavities, or in glandular hairs. They may also be deposited in specific tissues such as the pericarp of citrus fruits; in the petals of the roses; in the bark, stem and leaves of cinnamon; in the wood of the camphor tree and sandalwood; in the glandular hairs of leaves, stems and flowers of mint; in the roots of valerian, etc. They are often associated with other substances, such as gums and resins, and tend to be resized by exposure to air. In the plant world they are widespread in numerous botanical species. They are especially abundant in conifers, lamiaceae, apiaceae, mirtaceae, rutinaceae and asteraceae. Various functions are attributed to it in plants such as protection against insects and herbivores, adaptation to water stress and are of great importance in pollination, because they constitute elements of chemical communication due to their volatility and marked smell.
General characteristics:
Essential oils, in general, constitute 0.1 to 1% of the dry weight of the plant. They are liquids with little water solubility, soluble in alcohols and organic solvents. When they are fresh, at room temperature, they are colorless, since they oxidize and become dark yellow in color (which is prevented by depositing them in topaz glass containers, fully filled and perfectly closed). Most oils are less dense than water (with exceptions such as cinnamon, sassafras and clove essential oils) and with a high refractive index.
As for its chemical composition, with the exception of essences derived from heterosides (such as that of bitter almonds and mustard), they are generally complex mixtures of very variable constituents that belong, almost exclusively, to the group of terpenes and, in to a lesser extent, the group of aromatic compounds derived from phenylpropane (cinnamic aldehyde, eugenol, anethole, anisic aldehyde and safrole, among others). The terpenic compounds are formed by isoprene units (5 carbons), which can be monoterpenes (10 carbons) and sesquiterpenes (15 carbons). These monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes can be, in turn, acyclic, monocyclic and bicyclic, and also oxygenated and non-oxygenated.
Some oils are almost monomolecular, since they have almost exclusively a single component, others are rich in 2-3 molecules. But most are polymolecular, since they contain 3-4 major molecules, a certain number of minority molecules and, sometimes, hundreds of different molecules that are only present in traces.
Methods of obtaining:
Essential oils can be obtained by different methods. The most frequent is steam extraction (distillation). Other methods applicable in specific cases are the cold expression of citrus pericarp, the so-called chilling with fats at room temperature to extract some delicate floral aromas (jasmine, orange blossom, rose) and extraction with organic solvents at room temperature.
Hydrolates:
The water that is collected at the end of a distillation process is called hydrolate. It retains, in a completely natural way, a small amount of essential oil, as well as metals, mucilage and trace elements. Because of this, some of these hydrolates have interesting therapeutic properties. Rose water and orange blossom water are the two hydrolates that have developed most thanks to cosmetics and the food industry.
Rose water is an excellent tonic, soothing and regenerating skin, very appropriate for dry skin, and orange blossom water tones the skin and, orally, is particularly suitable for nervous and stressed people.
- Iodides.
- Chlorides.
- Bicarbonates.
- Acetates.
- Squil.
- Guaiphenesin.
- Ipecauanha.
- Creostesl
- Volatile oils.
------------------------
Essential essences or oils are a complex mixture of aromatic substances responsible for the fragrances of flowers. They have numerous pharmacological actions, so they constitute the basis of aromatherapy, but they are also widely used in perfumery and cosmetics, in the pharmaceutical industry and in the food, liquor and confectionery industry.
Volatile oils, essential oils or simply essences, are the natural aromatic substances responsible for the fragrances of flowers and other plant organs. Currently, this definition is only used if they are obtained by running in a steam stream or by expressing pericarp in the case of citrus fruits.
With the exception of some, such as bitter almonds, which are produced by hydrolysis of heterosides, these essences are found as such in the plant. They are synthesized and segregated by certain specialized histological structures, frequently located on or in the vicinity of the plant surface: oil cells, secretory ducts or cavities, or in glandular hairs. They may also be deposited in specific tissues such as the pericarp of citrus fruits; in the petals of the roses; in the bark, stem and leaves of cinnamon; in the wood of the camphor tree and sandalwood; in the glandular hairs of leaves, stems and flowers of mint; in the roots of valerian, etc. They are often associated with other substances, such as gums and resins, and tend to be resized by exposure to air. In the plant world they are widespread in numerous botanical species. They are especially abundant in conifers, lamiaceae, apiaceae, mirtaceae, rutinaceae and asteraceae. Various functions are attributed to it in plants such as protection against insects and herbivores, adaptation to water stress and are of great importance in pollination, because they constitute elements of chemical communication due to their volatility and marked smell.
General characteristics:
Essential oils, in general, constitute 0.1 to 1% of the dry weight of the plant. They are liquids with little water solubility, soluble in alcohols and organic solvents. When they are fresh, at room temperature, they are colorless, since they oxidize and become dark yellow in color (which is prevented by depositing them in topaz glass containers, fully filled and perfectly closed). Most oils are less dense than water (with exceptions such as cinnamon, sassafras and clove essential oils) and with a high refractive index.
As for its chemical composition, with the exception of essences derived from heterosides (such as that of bitter almonds and mustard), they are generally complex mixtures of very variable constituents that belong, almost exclusively, to the group of terpenes and, in to a lesser extent, the group of aromatic compounds derived from phenylpropane (cinnamic aldehyde, eugenol, anethole, anisic aldehyde and safrole, among others). The terpenic compounds are formed by isoprene units (5 carbons), which can be monoterpenes (10 carbons) and sesquiterpenes (15 carbons). These monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes can be, in turn, acyclic, monocyclic and bicyclic, and also oxygenated and non-oxygenated.
Some oils are almost monomolecular, since they have almost exclusively a single component, others are rich in 2-3 molecules. But most are polymolecular, since they contain 3-4 major molecules, a certain number of minority molecules and, sometimes, hundreds of different molecules that are only present in traces.
Methods of obtaining:
Essential oils can be obtained by different methods. The most frequent is steam extraction (distillation). Other methods applicable in specific cases are the cold expression of citrus pericarp, the so-called chilling with fats at room temperature to extract some delicate floral aromas (jasmine, orange blossom, rose) and extraction with organic solvents at room temperature.
Hydrolates:
The water that is collected at the end of a distillation process is called hydrolate. It retains, in a completely natural way, a small amount of essential oil, as well as metals, mucilage and trace elements. Because of this, some of these hydrolates have interesting therapeutic properties. Rose water and orange blossom water are the two hydrolates that have developed most thanks to cosmetics and the food industry.
Rose water is an excellent tonic, soothing and regenerating skin, very appropriate for dry skin, and orange blossom water tones the skin and, orally, is particularly suitable for nervous and stressed people.
Therapeutic properties:
From the pharmacological point of view, the properties of essential oils are very variable due to the heterogeneity of their components. Some of the molecules present in the essential oils of certain plants have great therapeutic interest, which has given rise to aromatherapy. Some of these actions, due to their effects on the skin, have also found their application in cosmetics.
On the other hand, from the toxicological point of view, essential oils are potentially toxic (despite being considered in the popular environment as unsafe natural products), since it can easily overdose, even with essential oils from plants that in They themselves are very little toxic. In addition, some show a specific toxicity by having components that cross the blood brain barrier and that affect the central nervous system, as with tuyone, which abounds in the essences of wormwood, yours and sage.
Among the pharmacological actions of essential oils the most notable are the following:
Antiseptic power:
This antiseptic, non-antibiotic action, manifests itself against a large number of pathogenic bacteria and includes certain antibiotic resistant strains. Some oils are also active against lower fungi responsible for mycosis and even against yeasts (Candida). Compounds such as citral, geraniol, linalool or thymol show an antiseptic power far superior to that of phenol.
Irritating properties:
Used externally, products such as turpentine essence cause an increase in microcirculation, significant flushing, heat sensation and, in some cases, slight local anesthetic action. There are many different preparations for topical use that incorporate essential oils to relieve sprains, stiffness, strains and other joint or muscle aliases.
Internally, they produce irritation at different levels: the essential oils of eucalyptus, niauli and pine stimulate the mucus cells and increase the movements of the cilia of the bronchial tree. Similarly, some essential oils can, at the renal level, produce vasodilation and cause a diuretic effect (juniper).
Essential oils with anethole (those of many umbellifers, those of mints or verbena) are effective in reducing or suppressing gastrointestinal spasms
Spasmolytic and sedative action:
Essential oils with anethole (those of many umbellifers, those of mints or verbena) are effective in reducing or suppressing gastrointestinal spasms. They frequently intensify gastric secretion, which is why they have been described as digestive and stomachic. Also, some essential oils exert a neurosedating action (lavender, lemon balm, valerian).
Other actions:
Certain essential oils have a cholagogue and choleretic effect (turmeric), others show an anti-rheumatic, anti-inflammatory and antiphlogistic action (mustard and chamomile) and some have a healing effect (lavender).
Method of administration:
Essential oils can be used for therapeutic purposes in treatments lasting 1-3 weeks, applied in different ways that we will describe below.
Cutaneous route:
- Body massage oil. It is obtained by incorporating an amount of essential oil (s) into a vegetable oil that usually ranges between 1% and 10%. The therapeutic objectives of the lotion thus obtained are immediate because the massage favors an excellent absorption of the aromatic components. The direct use (without dissolving) of an essential oil on the body is inadvisable due to the strong irritations that in most cases originate. Ointments can be included in this section, although vegetable oil is replaced by a mixture of honey and beeswax. Its use is much more specific: very localized pain, burns, insect bites, etc.
- Aromatic bath. Enjoying an aromatic bath presents the problem of insolubility of essential oils in water, so you have to resort to the use of solubilizers.
The direct use (without dissolving) of an essential oil on the body is inadvisable due to the strong irritations that in most cases originate.
Olfactory way:
- Atmospheric diffusion. It is the most important way to take advantage of the therapeutic properties of essential oils. It is a simple and pleasant method, but for which it is necessary to have a suitable apparatus: an electric micro-diffuser of essential oils that propels, by means of a vibrating mechanism, the aromatic molecules in a given area. The use of phenolic essences (thyme, clove) is not advisable because they are irritating to the respiratory tract.
- Fog. Vapors that are released from a pot of boiling water in which 20-25 drops of one or more essential oils with decongestant effects on the respiratory tract have been inhaled for a few minutes. It is an old procedure, but very effective in case of a cold or sinusitis. The operation can be repeated several times a day.
Orally:
Although it is not the best way to apply them, essential oils can also be taken orally. If there are no defined rules regarding the dosage to follow (in general, 1-2 drops per dose are sufficient), it must be taken into account that essential oils do not have a flavor that can be classified as pleasant and that, in addition, we must avoid the slightest burn to the digestive system that will absorb them. It is, therefore, advisable to incorporate them into an amount of honey that will later dissolve in a glass of water or in a hot tea.
Applications:
Pharmacological:
On the other hand, some essential oils are used in pharmacy to obtain various active ingredients (anethole, eugenol) or as excipients and flavorings in the preparation of syrups, suspensions, elixirs and other pharmaceutical forms. Likewise, in the food, liquor and confectionery industry they are often used as flavorings.
Cosmetics:
In perfumery and cosmetics essential oils are widely used. The use in perfumery is very important due, obviously, to the olfactory qualities of essential oils. This implies that they are incorporated in countless compositions: from perfumes for cologne to fragrances for laundry detergents. As for its use in cosmetics, it is also important and is based on the specific functions that some essences have on the skin, in addition to the use as a flavoring in different cosmetic preparations.
Aromatherapeutic:
In direct relation with essential oils, the so-called aromatherapy has emerged, which is a discipline within natural medicine that basically uses essential oils in its treatments.
The term aromatherapy was first used by the French chemist René Maurice Gatefossé, specialized in the cosmetic uses of essences.
A very important contribution of aromatherapy has been the deepening and development of anti-infective treatments from essential oils, with which results are obtained comparable, in many cases, to antibiotic therapy, but with fewer side effects and little appearance of resistance. In this sense, we must highlight the aromatogram technique, which experimentally confirms the antibacterial and fungicidal power of essential oils. This procedure is similar to the antibiogram (system used to define the power of an antibiotic), but antibiotics are replaced by essential oils.
In our country, the absence of legislation in this regard favors the development of fanciful applications that hinder the work of aromatherapy professionals, since it must be borne in mind that to apply essential oils for healing purposes, criteria, prudence and, on All, some basic scientific knowledge.
To know more:
- An essential oil from which certain therapeutic results are expected must have absolutely guaranteed quality.
- The essences extracted with the help of volatile organic solvents (the so-called concrete and absolute) cannot, in any case, be considered suitable for therapeutic use.
- The direct use (without dissolving) of an essential oil on the body is inadvisable due to the strong irritations that in most cases originate.
- Orally, the indicated doses that are generally 1 to 2 drops, three or four times daily, should not be exceeded, since essential oils are very concentrated active ingredients.
- It is not advisable to ingest the same essential oil for more than 3 weeks in a row.
- The administration of essential oils is not recommended in children under 6 years.
- The essences are very fragile and agents such as humidity, light, heat or air can reduce their chemical properties, so they must be kept in dark glass jars, hermetically sealed and in a cool and dry place.
- Do not confuse essential oils with vegetable oils.
Labels
pharmacology